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Keeping track of cloud computing trends, research and statistics gives small businesses knowledge and a solid foundation to get the most value from cloud services

Cloud computing, an on-demand service platform, appeals to small businesses because it provides time- and money-saving benefits. In cloud computing, hardware infrastructure and software services (such as servers, storage, CRM, accounting and so on) are delivered to an organization's computers and devices through the Internet.

Cloud computing can provide many benefits to small businesses, but it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. Keeping track of cloud computing trends, white papers and research gives small businesses a solid foundation to get the most value from cloud services.

The following cloud computing white papers and best practice articles are direct links to free publications from trusted industry sources and experts -- registration to read the content is not required.

14 Cloud Computing Resources for Small Business Owners

Before jumping on the cloud computing bandwagon, small business owners should learn the technology's basic fundamentals in order to better understand how it works. The topics covered in the following cloud computing white papers will teach you the cloud computing basics. These articles and professional research papers provide factual information on topics such as types of cloud computing (private, public and hybrid), cloud applications, cloud hosting and cloud services.

1. A Cloud Computing Dictionary Resource (Article)

Cloud computing platforms network large groups of servers (usually those with low-cost consumer PC technology), with specialized connections to spread data-processing chores across them. This shared IT infrastructure contains large pools of systems that are linked together. Often, virtualization techniques are used to maximize the power of cloud computing. (Source: Webopedia.com Article)

2. What is Cloud Computing? (White Paper)

Industry experts have long known that, once information technology got to be fast and reliable enough; the world's computing infrastructure would come to resemble the electricity infrastructure. That’s exactly what's happening with Cloud Computing – and why it's also often called Utility Computing. (Source: DynaSis White Paper)

3. Introduction to Cloud Computing (White Paper)

Many people are confused as to exactly what cloud computing is, especially as the term can be used to mean almost anything. Roughly, it describes highly scalable computing resources provided as an external service via the internet on a pay-as-you-go basis. (Source: ThinkGrid White Paper)

4. Cloud Computing Tips for Small Business (Article)

The availability and cost of public cloud services makes starting so easy that many IT departments discover some of their employees are using them before the IT team even has a plan. However, a plan -- even a simple one -- is essential to get the most value from cloud services. (Source: SmallBusinessComputing.com Article)

Cloud computing is one of those classic changes that, over time, becomes part of how a company operates. For growing companies limited by finances, cloud computing brings some down-to-earth benefits. One of the most important is that Cloud Computing helps businesses cut costs by sharing resources. (Source: DynaSis White Paper)

6. Demystifying Cloud Computing Options (White Paper)

While the technology behind cloud computing is well established, the market is relatively new. New offerings appear all the time, and even the terminology isn’t yet universally agreed upon. In this paper we will seek to demystify the options and show that it’s possible to achieve the desired increase in responsiveness without compromising the resilience and integrity of the services your IT organization provides. (Source: Verizon White Paper)

7. Introduction to Cloud Computing (White Paper)

This white paper introduces internet-based cloud computing, exploring the characteristics, service models, and deployment models in use today, as well as the benefits and challenges associated with cloud computing. (Source: Dialogic White Paper)

8. Cloud Computing Guide (Article)

In the cloud computing model, workers log into a Web-based service that hosts all the programs the users need for their jobs, from e-mail to word processing to complex Business Intelligence software. The service, and the hardware it runs on, is deployed, maintained and upgraded by another company, which generally offers service-level agreements (SLAs) to guarantee the service. (Datamation.com Article)

9. Getting Cloud Computing Right (White Paper)

Cloud services represent any type of IT capability that is offered by the cloud service provider to cloud service consumers. Typical categories of cloud services are infrastructure, platform, software or business process services. (Source: IBM Global Technology Services)

10. Best Cloud Computing Applications for Small Business (Article)

Even if you think you know nothing about this new concept, chances are you are already using an application in the cloud. Given that explanation, platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, Slideshare and Skype can reasonably be included in a list of cloud applications – platforms that hold your data (images, video, presentations, voice) and look after it all so you don’t have to worry about them. (Source: The Bowditch group)

11. Can You Trust the Cloud? (White Paper)

Because the cloud turns so many fixed cost scenarios into services, it is a remarkably effective platform for outsourcing. As a result, you can tap into the cloud for your computing infrastructure, your software applications and a wide range of sophisticated business process services. (Source: Xerox White Paper)

12. Five Myths of Cloud Computing (White Paper)

Change can be difficult for any organization, but some executives may have concerns that thework needed to automate their environment might eclipse any gains made by automation. Or they may believe they need to further standardize their current environment to truly take advantage of automation. But the truth is that today, the effort needed to get the cloud is much, much less. (Source: HP White Paper)

13. Assessing Cloud Node Security (White Paper)

This white paper is the result of research undertaken by Context into the technical risks associated with Cloud computing infrastructure nodes. Context rented four Cloud nodes currently offered by the major providers and performed a review of their security, including the limitations imposed by providers on the types of technical security testing allowed to be performed. (Source: Context Information Security White Paper)

14. Cisco Global Cloud Networking Survey (White Paper)

Almost two in five of those surveyed said they would rather get a root canal, dig a ditch, do their own taxes than address network challenges associated with public or private cloud deployments. (Source: The 2012 Cisco Global Cloud Networking Survey)